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Scuba Diving Holidays In Virgin Islands |
Plankton - rich waters mean an amazingly rich variety of sealife in these half British, half American islands. If you're looking for a quieter, less crowded location then the Virgin Islands are for you.
Country Description
The Virgin Islands are divided into two regions, The British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the US Virgin Islands (USVI). The BVI are a collection of around 60 islands, which are all close together. The scenery on these islands is often stunning with some great diving as well. The USVI on the other hand have a totally different atmosphere. An annex of the US, these islands lively and well visited. However they can still be quite dramatic especially on the less inhabited islands like St. Croix.
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Diving Description
A world-class dive with a minimum of divers the Virgin Islands feature excellent reefs, a globally renowned wreck, brilliant marine life and good conditions. On the downside visibility is often not as good as other parts of the Caribbean due the Atlantic swell that brings plankton rich waters. However, the reduced visibility is made up by the increased marine life feeding on the plankton. As a result this is the one of the healthiest-looking food chains in the Caribbean and includes palegics like barracuda, jacks and even large hawksbill turtles (that nest on the nearby island of St. Croix on USVI). Many of the reefs in BVI are shallow and are subsequently easy to dive, but it's the wrecks that this area specialises in.
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The Rhone
A British mail steamer that struck the rocks of Salt Island in 1867 during a hurricane. She now lies in a number of pieces next to the island. Because the Rhone is in shallow waters she is popular for novices however the bow section requires a greater degree of skill, as it lies a lot deeper. It promises fish life, sponges, and corals and is a stunning sight on the sandy bottom. This wreck is famous for being used in the film version of Peter Benchley's The Deep.
Cannon Reef
This is an arc that promises the remains of a number of old galleons that sank in Drake's times. The wooden structures may have been covered in coral or eaten by shipworms, but the cannons are still clearly visible. And as they only lie at 2m they are accessible to less experienced divers as well.
Blonde Rock, Alice in Wonderland and Anegada
Three outstanding but remote reefs that should be visited if conditions allow. As they are rarely dived they are in excellent condition and teem with life.
St. Croix wall
The only wall in the Virgin Islands and promises spectacular scenery. At many places the wall reaches within 10m of the surface while at others it plummets to over 200m. The dive-able depths are rich with huge barrel sponges, hard corals and sea whips, and are home to numerous pelagic species including jacks and barracuda. The area also offers some breathtaking topography. For example, the Salt River canyon has the appearance of a fresh water estuary, about half a mile wide and forming a strange shaped harbour.
Buck Island Marine Park
This site of St. Croix used to offer a stunning underwater nature trail, however it was almost destroyed in 1989 by Hurricane Hugo. The reef is now repairing itself and although nowhere near its former glories, it does offer divers the chance to see a reef regenerating itself.
The West Indies Trader wreck
Situated off St. Thomas, The West Indies Trader was a 121-metre freighter that now lies at 12m. She is in outstanding condition.
Other info
The often-ignored BVI islands are accessed via Antigua where you can take a small aircraft to Tortola. From here it's a short taxi or boat ride to your destination. |
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